Systems and methods for providing secure remote data transfer for medical devices

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for providing a secure connection to a medical device for remote servicing of the medical device. In one embodiment, a computing device is in communication with a medical device, the computing device comprising non-transitory memory including executable instructions for: communicating with the medical device via a first protocol; and communicating with a remote computing device via an encrypted, second protocol. The computing device also includes a processor for executing said executable instructions.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A supplemental computing device in communication with a medical device, a remote computing device, and one or more external databases, the supplemental computing device comprising:
 non-transitory memory including executable instructions for:
 selecting a first protocol for communicating with the medical device from among a plurality of possible protocols based on parameters of the medical device; 
 communicating information between the medical device and the remote computing device via the supplemental computing device, including: communicating the information between the supplemental computing device and the medical device via the first protocol, and communicating the information between the supplemental computing device and the remote computing device via an encrypted, second protocol; 
 communicating clinical data between the one or more external databases and the medical device; and 
 applying firewall screening rules, including categorizing incoming traffic as either verified or unverified traffic, and blocking unverified traffic and permitting verified traffic to pass through the supplemental computing device, where the incoming traffic includes the information communicated between the medical device and the remote computing device and the clinical data, and where the firewall screening rules are generated based on the parameters of the medical device; and 
 
 a processor for executing said executable instructions. 
 
     
     
       2. The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory memory further includes executable instructions for entering the parameters of the medical device into a look-up table stored in the non-transitory memory to select the first protocol, the look-up table including the plurality of possible protocols indexed by medical device parameters of a plurality of medical devices, and wherein the medical device and additional medical devices from the plurality of medical devices are coupled to the one or more external databases via a hospital network. 
     
     
       3. The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the supplemental computing device is in communication with the medical device via a wired connection, and wherein the supplemental computing device is included between the medical device and a hospital network. 
     
     
       4. A method, executable by a supplemental computing device, for servicing a medical device in communication with the supplemental computing device, the method comprising:
 encrypting a connection over the Internet between a remote computing device and the supplemental computing device; 
 converting, with the supplemental computing device, between a first protocol used by the medical device and a second protocol used by the remote computing device to enable communication between the remote computing device and the medical device via the supplemental computing device, where the supplemental computing device communicates with one or more external databases over a hospital network; and 
 blocking unverified traffic with the supplemental computing device and permitting verified traffic to pass through the supplemental computing device, the unverified traffic and the verified traffic determined based on a set of screening rules generated based on parameters of the medical device. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising identifying the first protocol from a list of protocols based on the parameters of the medical device, and executing, via the supplemental computing device, a model on images received from the medical device. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising periodically querying the remote computing device with the supplemental computing device to log into the medical device for servicing of the medical device. 
     
     
       7. A system, comprising:
 a medical device included on a hospital network; 
 a remote computing device configured with executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory for servicing the medical device; 
 one or more external databases included on the hospital network and in communication with the medical device; and 
 a supplemental computing device communicates with the medical device and the one or more external databases via the hospital network and configured with executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the supplemental computing device to: 
 identify a first protocol from a list of protocols based on parameters of the medical device; 
 executing a model on images received from the medical device; 
 convert between the first protocol used by the medical device a second protocol used by the remote computing device; 
 encrypt communications with the remote computing device via a security protocol; 
 apply a firewall to block, with the supplemental computing device, unverified traffic between the medical device and the hospital network, permit verified traffic to pass through the supplemental computing device, and secure open ports on the medical device, where the firewall does not block data from the one or more external databases, and where the unverified traffic and the verified traffic are determined based on a set of screening rules generated based on parameters of the medical device. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more external databases include one or more of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), hospital information system (HIS), a radiology information system (RIS), and an electronic medical record (EMR) system. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the supplemental computing device further identifies the verified traffic based on a protocol under which the verified traffic is sent. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the supplemental computing device is an aftermarket device and is included between the medical device and the hospital network. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the supplemental computing device is configured with additional executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the computing device to identify one or more protocols used to communicate on the hospital network. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the supplemental computing device is configured with additional executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the supplemental computing device to identify itself to the remote computing device and periodically send a login request query to the remote computing device. 
     
     
       13. The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein generating the firewall screening rules based on the parameters of the medical device comprises generating the firewall screening rules based on one or more models of network protocols of the medical device stored on the supplemental computing device. 
     
     
       14. The computing device of  claim 13 , wherein selecting the first protocol for communicating with the medical device from among the plurality of possible protocols based on the parameters of the medical device comprises selecting the first protocol based on the one or more models of the network protocols.